The
Purple Heart is a United States military decoration
awarded in the name of the President to those
wounded or killed, while serving, on or after April
5, 1917, with the U.S. military. With its
forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, which took
the form of a heart made of purple cloth, the Purple
Heart is the oldest military award still given to
U.S. military members; the only earlier award being
the obsolete Fidelity Medallion. The National Purple
Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New
York.

History

The original Purple Heart, designated as the Badge
of Military Merit, was established by George
Washington—then the commander-in-chief of the
Continental Army – by order from his Newburgh, New
York headquarters on August 7, 1782. The Badge of
Military Merit was only awarded to three
Revolutionary War soldiers. From then on as its
legend grew; so did its appearance. Although never
abolished, the award of the badge was not proposed
again officially until after World War I.

On October 10, 1927, Army Chief of Staff General
Charles Pelot Summerall directed that a draft bill
be sent to Congress "to revive the Badge of Military
Merit". The bill was withdrawn and action on the
case ceased January 3, 1928, but the office of the
Adjutant General was instructed to file all
materials collected for possible future use. A
number of private interests sought to have the medal
re-instituted in the Army; this included the board
of directors of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum in
Ticonderoga, New York.

On January 7, 1931, Summerall’s successor, General
Douglas MacArthur, confidentially reopened work on a
new design, involving the Washington Commission of
Fine Arts. Elizabeth Will, an Army heraldic
specialist in the Office of the Quartermaster
General, was named to redesign the newly revived
medal, which became known as the Purple Heart. Using
general specifications provided to her, Will created
the design sketch for the present medal of the
Purple Heart. The new design was issued on the
bicentennial of George Washington's birth. Her
obituary, in the February 8, 1975 edition of The
Washington Post newspaper, reflects her many
contributions to military heraldry.

Sign on Interstate 35 designating the Purple Heart
Trail.

Purple Heart Memorial, Westland, Michigan
The Commission of Fine Arts solicited plaster models
from three leading sculptors for the medal,
selecting that of John R. Sinnock of the
Philadelphia Mint in May 1931. By Executive Order of
the President of the United States, the Purple Heart
was revived on the 200th Anniversary of George
Washington's birth, out of respect to his memory and
military achievements, by War Department General
Orders No. 3, dated February 22, 1932.

The criteria were announced in a War Department
circular dated February 22, 1932, and authorized
award to soldiers, upon their request, who had been
awarded the Meritorious Service Citation
Certificate, Army Wound Ribbon, or were authorized
to wear Wound Chevrons subsequent to April 5, 1917,
the day before the United States entered World War
I. The first Purple Heart was awarded to MacArthur.
During the early period of American involvement in
World War II (December 7, 1941 – September 22,
1943), the Purple Heart was awarded both for wounds
received in action against the enemy and for
meritorious performance of duty. With the
establishment of the Legion of Merit, by an Act of
Congress, the practice of awarding the Purple Heart
for meritorious service was discontinued. By
Executive Order 9277, dated December 3, 1942, the
decoration was applied to all services; the order
required reasonable uniform application of the
regulations for each of the Services. This executive
order also authorized the award only for wounds
received. For both military and civilian personnel
during the World War II era, to meet eligibility for
the Purple Heart, AR 600-45, dated September 22,
1943, and May 3, 1944, required identification of
circumstances.

Subject to approval of the Secretary of Defense,
Executive Order 10409, dated February 12, 1952,
revised authorizations to include the Service
Secretaries. Dated April 25, 1962, Executive Order
11016, included provisions for posthumous award of
the Purple Heart. Dated February 23, 1984, Executive
Order 12464, authorized award of the Purple Heart as
a result of terrorist attacks, or while serving as
part of a peacekeeping force, subsequent to March
28, 1973.

On June 13, 1985, the Senate approved an amendment
to the 1985 Defense Authorization Bill, which
changed the precedence of the Purple Heart award,
from immediately above the Good Conduct Medal to
immediately above the Meritorious Service Medals.
Public Law 99-145 authorized the award for wounds
received as a result of friendly fire. Public Law
104-106 expanded the eligibility date, authorizing
award of the Purple Heart to a former prisoner of
war who was wounded after April 25, 1962. The
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
1998 (Public Law 105-85) changed the criteria to
delete authorization for award of the Purple Heart
to any civilian national of the United States, while
serving under competent authority in any capacity
with the Armed Forces. This change was effective May
18, 1998.

During World War II, nearly 500,000 Purple Heart
medals were manufactured in anticipation of the
estimated casualties resulting from the planned
Allied invasion of Japan. To the present date, total
combined American military casualties of the
sixty-five years following the end of World War
II—including the Korean and Vietnam Wars—have not
exceeded that number. In 2003, there remained
120,000 Purple Heart medals in stock. The existing
surplus allowed combat units in Iraq and Afghanistan
to keep Purple Hearts on-hand for immediate award to
soldiers wounded in the field.

The "History" section of the November 2009 edition
of National Geographic estimated the number of
purple hearts given. Above the estimates, the text
reads, "Any tally of Purple Hearts is an estimate.
Awards are often given during conflict; records
aren't always exact" (page 33). The estimates are as
follows:

The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the
President of the United States to any member of the
Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving
under competent authority in any capacity with one
of the U.S. Armed Services after April 5, 1917, has
been wounded or killed. Specific examples of
services which warrant the Purple Heart include any
action against an enemy of the United States; any
action with an opposing armed force of a foreign
country in which the Armed Forces of the United
States are or have been engaged; while serving with
friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict
against an opposing armed force in which the United
States is not a belligerent party; as a result of an
act of any such enemy of opposing armed forces; or
as the result of an act of any hostile foreign
force. After 28 March 1973, as a result of an
international terrorist attack against the United
States or a foreign nation friendly to the United
States, recognized as such an attack by the
Secretary of the Army, or jointly by the Secretaries
of the separate armed services concerned if persons
from more than one service are wounded in the
attack. After 28 March 1973, as a result of military
operations while serving outside the territory of
the United States as part of a peacekeeping force.

The Purple Heart differs from all other decorations
in that an individual is not "recommended" for the
decoration; rather he or she is entitled to it upon
meeting specific criteria. A Purple Heart is awarded
for the first wound suffered under conditions
indicated above, but for each subsequent award an
oak leaf cluster is worn in lieu of the medal. Not
more than one award will be made for more than one
wound or injury received at the same instant. A
"wound" is defined as an injury to any part of the
body from an outside force or agent sustained under
one or more of the conditions listed above. A
physical lesion is not required; however, the wound
for which the award is made must have required
treatment by a medical officer and records of
medical treatment for wounds or injuries received in
action must have been made a matter of official
record. When contemplating an award of this
decoration, the key issue that commanders must take
into consideration is the degree to which the enemy
caused the injury. The fact that the proposed
recipient was participating in direct or indirect
combat operations is a necessary prerequisite, but
is not sole justification for award. The Purple
Heart is not awarded for non-combat injuries.

Enemy-related injuries which justify the award of
the Purple Heart include: injury caused by enemy
bullet, shrapnel, or other projectile created by
enemy action; injury caused by enemy placed land
mine, naval mine, or trap; injury caused by enemy
released chemical, biological, or nuclear agent;
injury caused by vehicle or aircraft accident
resulting from enemy fire; and, concussion injuries
caused as a result of enemy generated explosions.

Injuries or wounds which do not qualify for award of
the Purple Heart include frostbite or trench foot
injuries; heat stroke; food poisoning not caused by
enemy agents; chemical, biological, or nuclear
agents not released by the enemy; battle fatigue;
disease not directly caused by enemy agents;
accidents, to include explosive, aircraft,
vehicular, and other accidental wounding not related
to or caused by enemy action; self-inflicted wounds
(e.g., a soldier accidentally fires their own gun
and the bullet strikes his or her leg), except when
in the heat of battle, and not involving gross
negligence; post-traumatic stress disorders; and
jump injuries not caused by enemy action.

It is not intended that such a strict interpretation
of the requirement for the wound or injury to be
caused by direct result of hostile action be taken
that it would preclude the award being made to
deserving personnel. Commanders must also take into
consideration the circumstances surrounding an
injury, even if it appears to meet the criteria. In
the case of an individual injured while making a
parachute landing from an aircraft that had been
brought down by enemy fire; or, an individual
injured as a result of a vehicle accident caused by
enemy fire, the decision will be made in favor of
the individual and the award will be made. As well,
individuals wounded or killed as a result of
"friendly fire" in the "heat of battle" will be
awarded the Purple Heart as long as the "friendly"
projectile or agent was released with the full
intent of inflicting damage or destroying enemy
troops or equipment. Individuals injured as a result
of their own negligence, such as by driving or
walking through an unauthorized area known to have
been mined or placed off limits or searching for or
picking up unexploded munitions as war souvenirs,
will not be awarded the Purple Heart as they clearly
were not injured as a result of enemy action, but
rather by their own negligence.

From 1942 to 1997, civilians serving or closely
affiliated with the armed forces—as government
employees, Red Cross workers, war correspondents,
and the like—were eligible to receive the Purple
Heart. Among the earliest civilians to receive the
award were nine firefighters of the Honolulu Fire
Department killed or wounded while fighting fires at
Hickam Field during the attack on Pearl Harbor. About 100 men and women received the award, the most
famous being newspaperman Ernie Pyle who was awarded
a Purple Heart posthumously by the Army after being
killed by Japanese machine gun fire in the Pacific
Theater, near the end of World War II. Before his
death, Pyle had seen and experienced combat in the
European Theater, while accompanying and writing
about infantrymen for the folks back home.

The most recent Purple Hearts presented to civilians
occurred after the terrorist attacks at Khobar
Towers, Saudi Arabia, in 1996—for their injuries,
about 40 U.S. civil service employees received the
award.

However, in 1997, at the urging of the Military
Order of the Purple Heart, Congress passed
legislation prohibiting future awards of the Purple
Heart to civilians. Today, the Purple Heart is
reserved for men and women in uniform. Civilian
employees of the U.S. Department of Defense who are
killed or wounded as a result of hostile action may
receive the new Defense of Freedom Medal. This award
was created shortly after the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001.

Appearance

The Purple Heart award is a heart-shaped medal
within a gold border, 1 3⁄8 inches (35 mm) wide,
containing a profile of General George Washington.
Above the heart appears a shield of the coat of arms
of George Washington (a white shield with two red
bars and three red stars in chief) between sprays of
green leaves. The reverse consists of a raised
bronze heart with the words FOR MILITARY MERIT below
the coat of arms and leaves. The ribbon is 1 and 3⁄8
inches (35 mm) wide and consists of the following
stripes: 1⁄8 inch (3 mm) white 67101; 1 1⁄8 inches
(29 mm) purple 67115; and 1⁄8 inch (3 mm) white
67101.

Devices

Additional awards of the Purple Heart are denoted by
oak leaf clusters in the Army and Air Force, and
additional awards of the Purple Heart Medal are
denoted by 5/16 inch stars in the Navy, Marine
Corps, and Coast Guard.

Presentation

Current active duty personnel are awarded the Purple
Heart upon recommendation from their chain of
command, stating the injury that was received and
the action in which the service member was wounded.
The award authority for the Purple Heart is normally
at the level of an Army Brigade, Marine Corps
Division, Air Force Wing, or Navy Task Force. While
the award of the Purple Heart is considered
automatic for all wounds received in combat, each
award presentation must still be reviewed to ensure
that the wounds received were as a result of enemy
action. Modern day Purple Heart presentations are
recorded in both hardcopy and electronic service
records. The annotation of the Purple Heart is
denoted both with the service member's parent
command and at the headquarters of the military
service department. An original citation and award
certificate are presented to the service member and
filed in the field service record.

During the Vietnam War, Korean War, and World War
II, the Purple Heart was often awarded on the spot,
with occasional entries made into service records.
In addition, during mass demobilizations following
each of America's major wars of the 20th century, it
was common occurrence to omit mention from service
records of a Purple Heart award. This occurred due
to clerical errors, and became problematic once a
service record was closed upon discharge. In terms
of keeping accurate records, it was commonplace for
some field commanders to engage in bedside
presentations of the Purple Heart. This typically
entailed a general entering a hospital with a box of
Purple Hearts, pinning them on the pillows of
wounded service members, then departing with no
official records kept of the visit, or the award of
the Purple Heart. Service members, themselves,
complicated matters by unofficially leaving
hospitals, hastily returning to their units to
rejoin battle so as to not appear a malingerer. In
such cases, even if a service member had received
actual wounds in combat, both the award of the
Purple Heart, as well as the entire visit to the
hospital, was unrecorded in official records.

Service members requesting retroactive awards of the
Purple Heart must normally apply through the
National Personnel Records Center. Following a
review of service records, qualified Army members
are awarded the Purple Heart by the U.S. Army Human
Resources Command in Alexandria, Virginia. Air Force
veterans are awarded the Purple Heart by the Awards
Office of Randolph Air Force Base, while Navy,
Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, present Purple Hearts
to veterans through the Navy Liaison Officer at the
National Personnel Records Center. Simple clerical
errors, where a Purple Heart is denoted in military
records, but was simply omitted from a (WD AGO Form
53-55 (predecessor to the) DD Form 214 (Report of
Separation), are corrected on site at the National
Personnel Records Center through issuance of a
DD-215 document.

Retroactive requests

Because the Purple Heart did not exist prior to
1932, decoration records are not annotated in the
service histories of veterans wounded, or killed, by
enemy action, prior to establishment of the medal.
The Purple Heart is, however, retroactive to 1917
meaning it may be presented to veterans as far back
as First World War. Prior to 2006, service
departments would review all available records,
including older service records, and service
histories, to determine if a veteran warranted a
retroactive Purple Heart. As of 2008, such records
are listed as "Archival", by the National Archives
and Records Administration, meaning they have been
transferred from the custody of the military, and
can no longer be loaned and transferred for
retroactive medals determination. In such cases,
requestors asking for a Purple Heart (especially
from records of the First World War) are provided
with a complete copy of all available records (or
reconstructed records in the case of the 1973 fire)
and advised the Purple Heart may be privately
purchased if the requestor feels it is warranted.

A clause to the archival procedures was revised in
mid-2008, where if a veteran, themselves or (if
deceased), an immediate member of the family,
requested the Purple Heart, on an Army or Air Force
record, the medal could still be granted by the
National Archives. In such cases, where a
determination was required made by the military
service department, photocopies of the archival
record, (but not the record itself), would be
forwarded to the headquarters of the military branch
in question. This stipulation was granted only for
the Air Force and Army; Marine Corps, Navy, and
Coast Guard archival medals requests are still
typically only offered a copy of the file and told
to purchase the medal privately. For requests
directly received from veterans, these are routed
through a Navy Liaison Office, on site at 9700 Page
Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63132-5100 (the location of
the Military Personnel Records Center).

Destroyed record requests

Due to the 1973 National Archives Fire, a large
number of retroactive Purple Heart requests are
difficult to verify because all records to
substantiate the award may have been destroyed. As a
solution to deal with Purple Heart requests, where
service records were destroyed in the 1973 fire, the
National Personnel Records Center maintains a
separate office. In such cases, NPRC searches
through unit records, military pay records, and
records of the Department of Veterans Affairs. If a
Purple Heart is warranted, all available alternate
records sources are forwarded to the military
service department for final determination of
issuance.

The loaning of fire related records to the military
has declined since 2006, because a large number of
such records now fall into the "archival records"
category of military service records. This means the
records were transferred from the military to the
National Archives, and in such cases, the Purple
Heart may be privately purchased by the requestor
(see above section of retroactive requests for
further details) but is no longer provided by the
military service department.